Approximately 80 Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) vehicles traveled from Redding to Siskiyou County in a procession Thursday for the funeral of Caltrans employee Joseph "Robert" Jones.

Jones, along with Weed resident Shawn Baker, 50, was killed in a rock slide during a rock scaling project on Highway 96 southwest of Happy Camp on April 24.

Jones' funeral service was held at the Grenada Community Berean Church in Grenada, and the burial followed at Evergreen Cemetery in Yreka.

The procession was led by California Highway Patrol vehicles and several local law enforcement officers remained parked along the route from Grenada to Evergreen Cemetery to monitor traffic.

Baker's funeral is scheduled for today at the First Baptist Church in Mount Shasta at 4 p.m. The procession will travel to Mount Shasta this afternoon for the funeral service.

Jones and Baker were two of eight employees who were on the hill when the rock slide transpired, said Trisha Coder, Caltrans spokesperson.

One Caltrans employee, Kevin Skillen, 50, of Yreka, was injured as a result of the accident. According to Coder, Skillen has been released from the hospital and he is recovering from his injuries.

Coder stated that the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, are currently conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the rock slide.

However, she noted that Caltrans representatives have received confirmation from a geologist that the rock slide was a natural occurrence and did not occur as a result of the scaling work conducted by the Caltrans employees.

Jones had been employed by Caltrans for seven years. He is survived by his wife, 19-year-old stepson, 15-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter.

Baker had been a Caltrans employee for 12 years and he is survived by his wife, two daughters, ages 25 and 21, and two sons, ages 19 and 16.

Memorial funds have been established to assist the Jones and Baker families.

A Workers Memorial Fund has been set up in Shawn Baker's name and donations can be made out to CTF (California Transportation Foundation) and designated "Baker" in the memo line. Checks may be mailed to CTF, 581 La Sierra Drive, Sacramento, CA 95864. CTF will match donations dollar for dollar up to $7,500.

A "Shawn Baker Memorial Fund" has also been set up at the AmericanWest Bank in Mount Shasta at 312 Maple St. Call 926-1680 for more details.

For the Jones family, a "Joseph 'Robert' Jones Memorial Fund" has been established at AmericanWest Bank. The Yreka branch is at 123 N. Main St. Donations may be made at any AmericanWest Bank branch; donations should be flagged to the Yreka branch. For more information, call 842-6191.